Measuring and delivering bin for potatoes, &amp;c



APPLICATION FILED IAN. I6. I9I9.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

, 1 [7206222402 1. EdeweZZ,

UNITED stares I I JAMES E. JEWELL, on Kansas crrY, ivrrssouitr; j

EAsUnINeANn DELI ERING BIN non rorAroEs, 8w,

Specification 0i Letters Patent. Patented All. 31, 1920.

7 Application filed January is, 1919 SerialNo. 2 7 1,541."

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES E. JEWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Measuring and Deliverin Bins for Potatoes, &c., of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to measuring and delivering bins for potatoes andthe like for use particularly in retail grocery stores, and has for its object to produce a device of this character by which potatoes can be discharged in measured quantities into a basket or paper bag or the like without requiring the clerkto touch the potatoes. A further object is to produce a device which will measurennd deliverarticles regardless of their size. V 1 o A still further objectis to, produce a device'ofthe character outlined which is of simple, strong, .durable, and inexpensive construction.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel and useful features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood ref erence is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which: 7 v

Figure 1, is a front view of a measuring anddischarging bin embodying the invention.- V r Fig. 2, is a vertical section taken on the line IIII of Fig; 1. r Fig. 3, is a horizontal section taken on the line III-III of Fig.2. 7 it Fig. at is an inverted plan View of the device. ,J J r f Fig. 5, is a vertical section on the line VV of.Fig. 2. I 7 H.

Inthe said drawing where like reference characters identify corresponding parts in all of the figures, 1 is a hopper shaped bin having a downwardly and'forwa'rdlysloping bottom 2 and a front wall 3 which sets I back from the-frontedges of the side walls and terminates at suitable distance above the front edge of 'thei bottom to provide a dis-' charge' opening d, which opening is conjbetween the wall and a pair of retaining or guide cleats, 6 fastened to thelf sidewallsj Below the bottom 2 of the'binfis a subbottom,'the same comprising two sectlons arranged side by'side, one being fixed in position and the other slidable in a forward and rearward direction; The'outer edges of the fixed sub-bottom section 7fand the slide able sub-bottom section 8 respectively rest upon supporting strips 9 secured to the lower edges of the walls of the bin. The

outer edges of said sub-bottom sections are spaced from the adjacent side walls of the 13111 for a purpose which hereinafter appears and they abut together at their inner edges where they rest upon a supporting strip 10 arranged midway between and parallel with supporting strips 9. The supporting strips 9 are' rigid with thevside walls of the" bin and also with the supporting legs 11 of the bin, and the legs are braced apart by braces "11, the braces 11"-;at the sides forming intermediate supports for thestri'ps 9, and the braces 11 at the front and back forming strip 10.. I .Resting upon the supporting strips is a bottomless slide drawer, comprising'a pair of sides 12 fitting against theside wallsof supports for the intermediate supporting Y sov the bin and upon supporting stri'ps9, a'front' wall 13 to engage the front edges ofthe side wallswh'en the drawer is;closed, a back wall 1 which when the drawer is closed stands just under the front portion of the bottom 2 of the hopper, andla longitudinal partition 15' extending from the front wall to the back, wall; it being noted in this-connection that theback wall 14; and the longitudinal wall 15 terminatejust above the permanentiand slidable sections of the sub-bottom. The sides of the drawer extend 'a considerable'distance beyond the back :wall thereof andunderlie guidestrips 16 secured to the sidewalls of the bin so as .to give'the drawer a long hear ing and befeasy of forward movement'of the. drawer, which should stop when the back wall thereof is flush with the front edges of the side walls of the bin, the side walls of the drawer are provided with to abut against the rear-edges of the strips 16,a'nd to limit rearward sliding movement of the slidable section of the sub-bottom in dependent of the closing movementof the drawer, the said slid able section is providedv with a step-shaped lug ,18 for abutment; against one of the angle braces, .11? Said lug has an; additional functiori/iri'thatit normally projects forwardlyithrough an opening in; the front wall of the drawer, and

operation. To limit the upwardly projecting stops-'17 if it is desired that said slidable section shall move forward with the drawerwhen thelatter is opened, a pivoted hook 19 secured to the outer face of-the front -wall of thei I run from lJhG'lOlIl and thus avoid the picking drawer, is engaged with a perforation in the front end of said lug. Lug 18 has a further function in thatit acts as a support for the front edge of the slidable sub-bottom 8, the strips 9 and lO'supporting the rear edge, when the slide section 8 is locked to the drawer front, when the drawer is opened.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that when the drawer is closed and the slide gate is opened, potatoes will'fall from the bin into the drawer, the gate being then reclosed. The opening of the drawer will then result in its back wall pushing the potatoes forwardly off the sub-bottom, though if only half the quantity of potatoes is to be discharged, the hook 19 will be engaged with the lug 18 and thus compel the-slidable section of the sub-bottom to move forward and hence retain the overlying potatoes while those at the opposite side of the longitudinal partition 15 will be discharged over the front edge of the fixed section of the subbottom. When the drawer is closed the engagement of hook 19 with lug 18 prevents the slidable bottom being pushed too far inward, and in this connection it is desired to state that the slidable sub-bottom section 8 engages withsuflicient friction the strips -9 and 10 to retain its stationary position when 7 the drawer is pulled forward for'the purpose of discharging potatoes therein off the front edge of i said sub-bottom, it being clearly understood that the drawer itself has no real bottom and'that the sections 7 and 8 take the place thereof.

To guide the potatoes into a bag or other receptacle supported by hand or upon thefloor, a collapsible funnel 20 is provided, the same being preferably of fabric'and ,se cured at its upper edge to the front ends of supporting strips 9 and 10 and to the front wall of the drawer so that when the latter is closed the funnel will beflattened and when the drawer is opened the funnel will be open as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2,'the

funnel preferably corresponding in width to the drawer so that it shall be capable of accommodating and guiding the potatoes from either or both sides of the partition 15.

7 It will be understood that the drawer is proportioned to accommodate a peek of potatoes or the like, and that with the central partition said measure of potatoes is divided into two half peeks, but it will also be under stood that the drawer may be sub-divided to deliver in quarter peck measures if desired or many other'quantities. V r c It will be apparent that in the operation of this device the potatoes need not be handled'by" the clerk, and that the potatoes will be of mixed sizes as they come from the bin.

The provision of a device eliminating the necessity of handling the-potatoes is desirable V as they are ordinarily dirty and'hard on the hands, and it is desirable -to sell them as they sold, frequently ,7

illustrated and-described what now appears to be the preferred con'str'uction'I reserve the right to all changes properlyfalling within the spirit of the appended' claimsand the scope of the presentinvention 5 H V I claim:

' 1. In a device of the character described,

a hopper having a discharg'eopeningat its lower end, a gate COIltIOlllllgSELICI OPBHIIIg,

a receptacle for receiving from the hopper through said opening and movable for dis-' charging what it receives, and a' collapsible funnelopenable through opening movement of said receptacle, to receive the contents of the latter, and collapsible through closing movement of the receptacle. 7

2. In a device of the character described,

a hopperhaving a discharge openingat its lower end, a sub-bottom below and project ing forwardly beyond the discharge opening of the hopper, a receptacle for which when closed, the sub-bottom constitutes a bottom and movable to eflect the discharge off said bottom of material entering the receptacle from the hopper,'and a collapsible funnel secured at opposite sides to a fixed point-of the device and to said movable receptacle and adapted to be opened andclosed by opening and closing movement respectively,

of said receptacle. Y I

3. In a device of the character a hopper having a discharge opeinngat its described, I

lower end, a sub-bottom'below and project 7 ing forwardly beyond thedischarge open ing of the hopper, a receptacle for which when closed, the sub-bottom"constitutes a bottom and movable to effect the discharge off said bottom of material entering the receptacle from the hoppeig'a collapsibleffun nel secured at opposite sides toa fixed point of the device and to said movable receptacle I and adapted to behopened andfclosedyby opening and'closing movement respectively,

of said receptacle; said sub-bottom comprislng two sections arranged sideby side one fixed and one movable, said'receptacle having a partition dividing it into'a compare" ment for which the fixed section of the'sub bottom forms a bottom'and a second com partment and for which 'saidmovable sec tion of the sub-bottom forms a bottom and, 5

means for detachably connecting said movthe drawer is opened v able section of the sub-bottom with said receptacle to cause said movable section to move with the receptacle and thus constitute a bottom for one compartment thereof regardless of whether said receptacle is in open or closed position. i

4. A device of the character described, comprising an elevated hopper having a discharge opening at its lower end, agate controlling said opening, a sub-bottom underlying and spaced from said hopper and projecting forwardly beyond said opening, a

bottomless slide drawer interposed between the hopper and the sub-bottom and closed by the latter when in closed position, the drawer having a back wall adapted when the drawer is open to move forward over the sub-bottom and discharge the contents of the drawer received from the hopper through the discharge opening thereof, off the front end of said sub-bottom, and a collapsible funnel suspended at its front side from the front portion of the drawer and at its rear .side from a fixed portion of the device adthe sub-bottom and of the drawer received from through the discharge opening the front end of said sub-bottom,

ble funnel suspended at its front side from I the front portion of the drawer and at its rear side from a fined portion of the device adjacent the front edge of said sub-bottom,

a collapsi-- i y I to receive and gulde downward the contents discharged by said drawer when opened; said sub-bottom comprising two sections arranged side by side, one slidable and the other fixed, and said drawer having a longitudinal partition dividing it into two compartments one closed when the drawer is closed, by the movable and the other by the fixed section of the sub-bottom, and means for detachably connecting the slidable section of the sub-bottom with said drawer to move back and forth therewith.

6. device of the character described, comprising an elevated hopper having the I lower portion of its-front wall set back of the front edges of the side walls and provided with an opening at the lower end, and a downwardly and. forwardly sloping bottom terminating at the lower side of said opening, a gate for controlling the passage of the contents of the hopper through said opening, a' sub-bottom suitably supported below and spaced from the hopper and extending forwardly beyond the vertical plane ofthc discharge opening ofthe hopper, a

slide drawer interposedbetween the hopper and said sub-bottom, comprising side walls, a front wall connecting the-side walls, and a back wall connecting theside walls, said drawer being adapted to receive the discharge from the hopper when said gate is open and to discharge off of the front end of saidv sub-bottom when the drawer is pulled forward through the pressure applied on its contents by its back wall, and a collapsible funnel suspended at its rear side from a fixed point of the device adjacent the vertical plane ofthe front edge of said subs bottom and at its front side from the front wall of the drawer for the purpose of receiving and guiding the contents of the drawer as discharged therefrom by the opening movement thereof.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature,

JAMES E. J EWELL. 

